Police and Steward 'Kettling'

[rabidbee]

as above, why are we treated like 2nd rate citizens over the away fans - its OUR ground ffs. It was such a dull game it wasn't going to kick off anyway. But oh no, let just let 2000 away fans stand up all game then make the home fans suffer. thanks

Well, I got hit by a coin lobbed by Cardiff fans as we were waiting to get out of the south stand. Not proof that it would kick off, per se, but something tells me some Cardiff don't really need much of a reason.

That said, a lot of them did appear to be 14, so presumably had to meet their mums outside.

[urzmikep]

I can't get all the "walk the other way comments" - everyone's missing the point, we were actually the home side and had circa 19k of supporters versus 2k of Cardiff supporters. Why should we be treated like animals when the Cardiff fans are let onto their coaches.

It was an absolute disgrace how we were treated last night - bet you anything you like the Cardiff supporters won't be have to wait for us on Tuesday night!!

The police were lucky that there were not any injuries due to the crush.
Also I would hate to think what it would have been like if our fans were like Cardiff - there would have been a riot and the Police would have had a major problem on their hands. Luckily Reading supporters don't have a thug mentality - but then I suppose that why the police and stewards did as they knew there would be no trouble from our "nice" supporters.

[Royal Lady]

The club quite clearly took this action because it was Cardiff, nothing to do with how many coaches. We've had 4k away supporters numerous times and not been herded like that before.

However, I do think the club could have informed us of this prior to a "safety announcement" towards the end of the game. Was it publicised on the official site, for example? At least people would have had some sort of warning.

My chest still hurts from last night.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

as above, why are we treated like 2nd rate citizens over the away fans - its OUR ground ffs. It was such a dull game it wasn't going to kick off anyway. But oh no, let just let 2000 away fans stand up all game then make the home fans suffer. thanks

The home fans stood up all game too.

Is it really that much of a hardship to walk the other way for once? Yeah, it takes an extra 5 minutes, but I'd prefer that to crowd trouble.

Yes, I appreciate it wasn't a great game, so trouble was less likely, but those deciding to take the precaution didn't have a crystal ball to know how the game would turn out before making the decision.

Was an extra 10 mins rather than 5 but, in any case, you've missed the point(s).
1. Why should we - the innocent party - be penalised because of Cardiff's reputation and poor behaviour? and
2. By the time we had walked the long way round and got to KFC/MacDs we were confronted by hordes of Cardiff fans without the police protection that TVP obviously thought was vital outside the South Stand.

It was a logistical mistake. Simple as. The Cardiff fans should have been held in for 15/20 minutes whilst the Reading fans dispersed.

Apparently clubs aren't allowed to detain fans any more (I know some still do, but...) which is why they have to seek alternative ways of avoiding conflict. I remember the howls of anguish when they first put up the fence between the east stand and the away end after the match, and the same questions were asked then.


Why should we "suffer" because of them? It's being done for our benefit, if not our convenience.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

However, I do think the club could have informed us of this prior to a "safety announcement" towards the end of the game. Was it publicised on the official site, for example? At least people would have had some sort of warning.

It was announced over the PA in the second half. It's just that our PA system is crap. Playing records at an ear splitting volume - no problem. Reading out messages - hopeless.


And I doubt you were herded anywhere. You can't herd people just by forming a line. The crush would have been from twats behind you pushing.

[Royal Lady]

We had to go a certain way - that's "herding" in my book. And I KNOW they mentioned over the PA during the second half - I've already said that - my point was, perhaps they could have mentioned it a bit earlier and forewarned people, particularly those who needed to get their buses from a certain area. Were the buses still at the bottom of the Costco roundabout for example?

[papereyes]

Christ, we all love a moan but that wasn't kettling. They closed off one road to Reading fans as it was presumed chucking them all in together would be a bad plan. Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

If it had been kettling, I'd have got my truncheon out.

[Royal Lady]

Christ, we all love a moan but that wasn't kettling. They closed off one road to Reading fans as it was presumed chucking them all in together would be a bad plan. Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Were you at the game prostak? Which way did you walk back?

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

We had to go a certain way - that's "herding" in my book.

Herding implies much more than that. It implies the deliberate shepherding of people into a confined space. That doesn't equate to being told to exit by a different road to usual. And although it was slow moving, I didn't see anything resembling a crush. The concourses at half time are more crowded.

At very least it implies the sort of containment away fans in the 80s were used to, when being escorted to/from stations, under threat of arrest if you broke ranks. Last night was nothing like that.

[Royal Lady]

We had to go a certain way - that's "herding" in my book.

Herding implies much more than that. It implies the deliberate shepherding of people into a confined space. That doesn't equate to being told to exit by a different road to usual. And although it was slow moving, I didn't see anything resembling a crush. The concourses at half time are more crowded.

At very least it implies the sort of containment away fans in the 80s were used to, when being escorted to/from stations, under threat of arrest if you broke ranks. Last night was nothing like that.

Well there was a crush when we walked through, past the bit where there is some sort of metal fencing making the walkway/roadway narrower. THAT is where I got hurt.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Well there was a crush when we walked through, past the bit where there is some sort of metal fencing making the walkway/roadway narrower. THAT is where I got hurt.

Where is that?

And I repeat, if you did get crushed on something (I'm assuming you didn't just walk into it by accident) then the fault is with dickhead fans pushing to try and get through.


I remember years ago, in the days when away fans were kept in, there being a crush trying to get out at Southend once. Fans at the back thought they could get through the locked gates by pushing everyone to surge through. It just resulted in loads being crushed at the front.

[jonboy29red]

.[/quote]
Well there was a crush when we walked through, past the bit where there is some sort of metal fencing making the walkway/roadway narrower. THAT is where I got hurt. [/quote] i wacked my leg on the stop of a police van as they were in no rush to move them when they let us go there was no comunication at all between either the police or the stewards

[roadrunner]

We went the "long way" round and at one point there were thousands of us all squeezed into a tiny space and I got pushed into a traffic sign thingy and it hurt my chest.

Wouldn't have hurt had you had a decent pair of boobs on you.

[LoyalRoyalFan]

Was this just for the East Stand?

[roadrunner]

Was this just for the East Stand?

No. We left the South and were told to walk around the stadium and leave via the North Stand route. One copper was getting a right mouthful at one point and he looked a little nervous with a good thousand angry home fans around him with a few giving him a hard time. It wasn't well organised at all.

They should have locked Cardiff in for 20 minutes.

[LWJ]

We should of rioted.

[prostak]

RL, I was indeed there last night. We hung around for 5 minutes or so in the concourse, and had no problems leaving by the road alongside B&Q. That alone suggests this was hardly Mayday-style containment. Luckily i was with papereyes, whose big, strong arms are the greatest of comforts in times of panic. Maybe get Schards to hench up a bit in time for next season?

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

I love the idea that they should contain the Cardiff fans, an empty ground bar 2000 of that lot, would have meant a riot. They should have announced the plans well in advance, and for RL yes the buses left at the bottom of the hill for the P&R, as I have already said earlier.. I guess i might be on iggy still.

[Z175]

I thought it was to make people spend money in the jazz cafe!

[Dan - B15 Royal]

.....Cardiff fans walking back into the home fans outside the retail park, a group of at least 20 singing and being loud, not a crime but often apossible flash point, so we crossed over and then back again.

i saw that large group of city fans, so kept my head down whilst walking past and didnt respond to their bait/chants aimed at us, as without any copper in sight things could of got nasty! poor planning by the club & TVP yet again, but we are use to that now arent we!